Earth is like a giant ball. In the center of the ball is a smaller ball made of different kinds of metals. This is called theCore.

Around the core is a big sea of melted rock and metal. It is thick (like toothpaste) and very VERY hot. (This is why you do not want to dig to China.) The melted rock is called Magma. The place where is magma is located is called the Mantle

Floating on this magma sea are big thick plates made of rock.

On top of all of this, is the rock shell on which we live.

This is called the Crust.

Factoid:

Why don’t we fall off

the Earth?

The law of Gravity

keeps us on the earth.

Obey Gravity!

It’s the LAW!

OK. Back to the plates.

Most of the time the plates move peacefully. (The plates are made of Rock. Rocks do not get mad.)

The points where the plates meet each other are called Faults or Fault lines.

A fault is a very dangerous place. When two plates bump each other, Watch out!